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Spain has reported a marked rise in coronavirus infections over the past two weeks, health ministry data has shown, putting the country’s emergence from lockdown in jeopardy.

There are now 27.39 cases per 100,000 people in Spain, compared with 8.76 cases per 100,000 people on 3 July, the figures showed.

Such a rise in infections has not been seen since the country was in lockdown, which was eased from 11 May in most regions.

Spain is one of the few European countries where new infections are increasing this quickly, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), external.

Over the previous 14 days, Spain recorded 13,487 new cases, which amounts to a cumulative rise of 160% during that period, WHO data showed.

The city council in Barcelona, a hotspot for new cases, announced on Tuesday it would reduce access to 10 beaches by 15% to mitigate the spread of the virus, El País reported, external.

Catalonia, where Barcelona is located, and the regions of Aragón and the Basque Country are where most of the new infections are concentrated.

“The situation in these regions is very worrying,” a spokesman for the Spanish Epidemiology Association, Fernando Rodríguez Artalejo, said. “If they are not controlled immediately and thoroughly, we will have a very complicated situation.”

No new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland for the eighth day in a row.

The total number of people who have died with the virus remains at 556, according to the country's Department of Health. These mainly comprise of deaths in hospitals but also include some deaths in other settings.

There have been two new confirmed cases of the virus in Northern Ireland since Monday.

MPs witnessed a heated exchange between former health secretary Jeremy Hunt and the government's chief medical adviser, Chris Whitty, as the professor gave evidence to the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee.

Prof Whitty said widespread community testing earlier on in the pandemic required "an infrastructure we did not have".

Asked by Mr Hunt why he had not advised that testing be ramped up quickly in January or February, Prof Whitty said: "The idea that you can suddenly switch this on, I'm afraid, is incorrect."

He said the scientific advisers had consistently said more testing capacity was needed but agreed that, given the capacity, it was the correct advice to stop widespread community testing on March 12.

Asked about care home deaths, Prof Whitty said the UK is not alone in having "not handled this well".

He said that at the time, authorities had not recognised issues that are "in retrospect obvious" such as care staff working in multiple homes and not being paid for sick leave.

You can read more about today's proceedings at the committee in our story here - Coronavirus: 'Infection here for many years to come'

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"Good progress" is being made in trying to open schools full-time to children in Scotland on 11 August, the country's Education Secretary John Swinney has said.

On Thursday he will make a statement at Holyrood where he said he would outline the "practical and logistical preparations" being made for pupils to return, covering measures including a surveillance programme, outbreak management protocols and quick access to testing for all symptomatic staff and pupils.

However, he reiterated that full-time resumption of studies will only happen on 11 August if the virus continues to be suppressed, with a decision being made on 30 July.

Meanwhile, children under the age of five in Scotland with coronavirus symptoms will be able to access testing from Wednesday, external.

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Hello and thank you for following our coverage of the pandemic. Our team of reporters in London and around the world are bringing you the latest updates:

If you're just joining us, here are some of today's main developments:

• The global tally of confirmed infections has risen to over 14.7m, according to Johns Hopkins University - the death toll has also risen to 610,000
• America continues to be the worst-affected country, with over 3.8m cases, followed by Brazil, India and Russia
• European Union leaders have struck a deal on a huge post-coronavirus recovery package following a fourth night of talks. It involves €750bn (£677bn; $859bn) in grants and loans to counter the impact of the pandemic in the 27-member bloc - the biggest joint borrowing ever agreed by the EU
• Almost 900,000 UK public sector workers, many of whom have been on the front line in the fight against the coronavirus, are to get an above-inflation pay rise
• Iran has recorded its highest daily death toll - 229
• President Trump has suggested it is patriotic to wear a mask, in a further move away from his previous stance on the issue
• The World Health Organization says it is seeing “an acceleration” of the outbreak in Africa, warning that the surge in South Africa could be a precursor to more outbreaks across the continent

No new coronavirus deaths have been recorded in Wales for the fourth day in a row.

The total number of deaths of people who have tested positive for the virus remains at 1,547, while the total number of cases has increased by 22, Public Health Wales said.

In England, a further 15 people have died with coronavirus in hospital, taking the total number of deaths in hospitals there to 29,202.

Noel Titheradge & Dr Faye Kirkland
BBC News

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On Thursday 12 March, everyday life remained relatively normal across the UK.

Shoppers shopped, while millions drove to work or poured out of trains into city centres.

In the evening, people went out. At Wembley Arena, Lewis Capaldi sang to an audience of 12,000 fans - having urged them to bring hand sanitiser with them.

But these were not normal times. A new coronavirus was spreading across the globe.

Looking back, the question that will always be asked is - did the UK go into lockdown too slowly? Should those crowds have been out that day?

Read more here.

Nyein Chan Aye
BBC News Burmese

More than 3,000 high schools in Myanmar have reopened today after nearly two months of delay caused by the pandemic.

Health authorities conducted inspections in high schools across the country from 17-20 July.

High schools can only reopen after thorough disinfection and enough hand-washing facilities are installed. Each classroom can only accommodate 20 students, and desks have to be at least six feet apart.

Students and teachers also have to get their temperature taken before entering school premises, and wearing a mask and a face shield is mandatory inside classrooms.

Some 2,000 high schools could not reopen today because they weren’t able to follow all the guidelines.

“It is sad to see the students sweat while wearing protective gear in the classroom,” a teacher from Yangon told BBC Burmese. The temperature can easily exceed 30C in Myanmar, and many schools don’t have air-conditioning.

Some teachers say it is challenging to keep up with the teaching schedule because not all students can listen at the same time because of limits on class sizes.

Myanmar, which reported the first case in late March, has achieved considerable success at containing the virus so far. The country currently reports 341 cases in total.

A nurse who had been in a coma for 40 days with coronavirus has been given an emotional send-off from hospital by her colleagues.

Ayesha Orlanda, 52, a senior sister at Bradford Royal Infirmary, in northern England, had been in intensive care for 41 days after being admitted in May.

She had been critically ill but says she now has a "second chance at life".

You can watch the video of staff applauding Ms Orlanda as she leaves hospital below and read more on this story here.

Christopher Giles
BBC Reality Check

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Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has held a packet of hydroxychloroquine in front of a crowd of supporters which he claims has made him feel better.

Bolsonaro, who has tested positive for coronavirus, is taking the anti-malarial pill on the recommendation of a military doctor and has consistently touted the drug as a treatment.

However, results from the UK Recovery trial, a large randomised study, said that the drug was not effective in treating patients with coronavirus.

It concluded that "there is no beneficial effect of hydroxychloroquine in patients hospitalised with Covid-19" and the drug has now been pulled from the trial.

Most scientist believe the biggest hope for the drug could be as a preventative measure against Covid-19, but it is so far unproven as we await results from large-scale studies.

The World Health Organization has previously issued warnings against self-medicating with the drug because of reports of heart problems.

Read more from Reality Check: What do we know about hydroxychloroquine?

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The majority of new coronavirus cases in Scotland are in Lanarkshire following an outbreak at a local call centre, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The first minister told her daily briefing that there had been 22 fresh positive results and most were in Lanarkshire.

The first minister said "at least some of them" were connected to the Sitel call centre which was carrying out Test and Trace for NHS England.

A Scottish government resilience meeting will be held later, chaired by Ms Sturgeon. She said the meeting would consider the latest situation and any further action that may be required.

"These figures are a sharp reminder that the virus is circulating in Scotland and a reminder that if we allow it to, it will spread rapidly in social settings or workplaces," she said.

The total number of positive cases in Scotland stands at 18,474. No deaths of people who tested positive were recorded between Monday and Tuesday, keeping the death toll at 2,941.

Back to the Commons health committee hearing.

The UK's chief medical officer, Prof Chis Whitty, told MPs he would "very much doubt" that there would be a legal requirement to have a coronavirus vaccine in the future, and he would expect it to be free - but that is a policy decision.

“No one should be under any illusions - the chance of us getting a vaccine before Christmas that is actually is highly effective are, in my view, very low,” he says.

But his deputy, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, says he is "cautiously optimistic" that there will be a vaccine this side of Christmas.

"If we do, we will not have any data on whether it can be given at the same time as flu vaccine," he says.

He adds that the development of a combined coronavirus and flu vaccine will take "many, many years in the future to achieve".

Read more about the development of a vaccine here.

Iran has reported 229 deaths from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours - its highest daily toll so far.

Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said the number of deaths now stood at 14,634. There are 278,827 infections across the country.

Iran has seen a resurgence of the virus since it eased lockdown measures in mid-April, in part to restart an economy already hit hard by US sanctions.

President Hassan Rouhani said earlier this month that Iran could not afford to shut down the economy again, and Iranians have been urged to wear face masks and refrain from holding large gatherings.

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Dr Anthony Fauci, the top infectious diseases expert in the US, will throw the first ceremonial pitch for the Washington Nationals when the pandemic-delayed baseball season restarts on Thursday.

The Nationals, the reigning World Series champions, will host the New York Yankees in the first game since the pandemic brought the season to a halt in March.

"Dr Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honour him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series Championship title," the Nationals said in a statement.

With restrictions on crowds at live sporting events in place, no fans will be in attendance to see Dr Fauci’s pitch at the behind-closed-doors game.

Reputed to be a Nationals super-fan, Dr Fauci will no doubt relish the occasion regardless.

As director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr Fauci has been thrust into the spotlight during the pandemic, drawing praise and criticism for his handling of the outbreak.

His sometimes tense relationship with US President Donald Trump has played out in the media throughout the pandemic.

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met his cabinet in person for the first time in four months, telling them his government's "radical and reforming" agenda would not be "blown off course" by coronavirus.

Senior ministers met in the Foreign Office, rather than the smaller cabinet room in Downing Street to allow for social distancing.

Warning of "bumpy months ahead", Johnson told his cabinet: "For the next few months we have to strike a balance - we have to continue to push down on this virus and keep it under control in the heroic way the British people have managed so far."

"But we must also cautiously, while observing the rules on social distancing, get our economy moving again and get our people back into work," he added.

He praised the cabinet for setting "an example" by meeting face to face while observing social distancing.

Image source, Getty

There has been a great deal of focus on the timing of the UK government's decision to start the lockdown in March.

Last month, former government adviser Prof Neil Ferguson suggested coronavirus deaths in the UK would have been halved if lockdown had been introduced a week earlier.

The government's chief medical adviser, Chris Whitty, has just told MPs that ministers followed the advice of Sage scientists on the timing.

"I am confident that the ministers at the time who were put in an incredibly difficult position, in my view followed the advice given by Sage… with a delay that was no more than you would reasonably expect for what are really very difficult things to operationalise and decide" he told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee.

He added that he did not think there was "huge delay between the advice that ministers received, given the enormity of the difficulties that we were asking of people and the practical implications of what was being done".

To help you understand the coronavirus recovery deal agreed by the EU on Tuesday, here are some of the key details:

How will the money be raised?

The €750bn package of grants and loans will be borrowed from financial markets by the EU’s executive, the European Commission. The Commission has a triple-A credit rating, meaning it can borrow more cheaply than most EU member states.

What will the money be spent on?

The EU will disburse €390bn in grants and €360bn in low-interest loans to EU member states. Most of the grants - about €312.5bn - will be given to national governments that present plans to strengthen their economies. The remaining €77.5bn of grants will go to EU-led programmes, such as rural development, research and the green transition.

How will the money be repaid?

The EU has agreed to repay all the new debt by 2058. To that end, leaders agreed to levy taxes domestically, including:

• A tax on non-recycled plastic
• A tax on goods imported from countries with lower carbon emissions standards than the EU from 2023

The UK was "slow" to implement measures such as increased testing and personal protective equipment for health workers, a member of the government's scientific advisory group, Sage, has told MPs.

Describing January and February as "absolutely critical", Wellcome Trust director Sir Jeremy Farrar said countries like Korea, Singapore and Vietnam learnt from previous epidemics and acted quicker, meaning the virus did not take off in the same way there.

He also told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee that he regrets Sage was not more "blunt" and "robust" in its advice.

The committee will also hear from the government's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, and England's deputy chief medical officers, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam and Dr Jenny Harries, later.

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Buenos Aires has begun lifting lockdown restrictions as Argentina balances the economic cost of the pandemic against the risk of continued spread.

The social-distancing measures are being eased despite a recent spike in new infections totalling more than 3,000 a day since early July.

Argentina's President, Alberto Fernandez, announced the phased relaxation of restrictions last week.

As part of the first phase, which runs until 2 August, outdoor exercise will be permitted and non-essential businesses, such as hairdressers and professional services, will be allowed to reopen.

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Buenos Aires mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta urged people to be responsible because "personal contact is by far the largest source of infection”.

In lockdown since 20 March, Buenos Aires has been badly affected by the pandemic, recording a large portion of Argentina’s total infections and deaths.

Last month the Argentine government extended and tightened a lockdown in and around Buenos Aires following a sharp rise in cases.

In total, the country has reported 130,774 infections and 2,373 deaths to date, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, external.

Image source, Getty Images

Robert Cuffe
BBC head of statistics

Just under 10,000 deaths were registered in the UK during the week of 10 July, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics.

That is about 600 (or 6%) below the average for that week in the preceding five years.

Some of the very elderly or vulnerable people who have died during the epidemic might have died this summer had they not been infected.

According to the ONS: "These deaths occurring earlier than expected could contribute to a period of deaths below the five-year average.”

Deaths in hospitals and care homes are now running below their expected levels in Great Britain, but we are still seeing more deaths in private homes than the five-year average would predict.

The number of death certificates mentioning Covid-19 fell to 388, its lowest since the week before lockdown was announced.